Colleges in Canada without IELTS: Top Colleges & Alternatives

Veda Burman Study Abroad Content Specialist

Study Abroad Content Specialist

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the most commonly accepted English proficiency test across the universities in Canada. However, a lot of Indian students avoid IELTS test while entering Canadian institutions. The several reasons for not choosing IELTS over other English proficiency tests are as follows:

Many students find IELTS difficult to attend as compared to other English proficiency tests.
The exorbitant application fee of IELTS is another reason of students avoiding the exam.
A lack of knowledge about the test is one big reason for students not taking IELTS.

Indian students require English proficiency test scores for both university admission and immigration process. If you meet the alternative language competence standards required by your selected university, you will be able to enrol for studying in Canada. Some renowned colleges and universities in Canada offering admission without IELTS score are listed below:

Table of Contents

Alternatives of IELTS in Canada
Top Universities in Canada Without IELTS
Duolingo-Accepted Institutes in Canada
PTE Accepted Institutes in Canada
FAQs

Alternatives of IELTS in Canada

Indian students can pursue a range of alternative tests of IELTS across the Canadian universities. Some commonly accepted ENglish proficiency tests are as follows:

Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Pearson Tests of English (PTE)
Duolingo English Test (DET)
CanTest by University of Ottawa
Cambridge Assessment English (C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency)
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
Academic English Program for University and College Entry (AEPUCE)
Canadian Academic English Language Assessment – CAEL, CAEL-CE, CAEL online

Top Universities in Canada Without IELTS

Check out some reputed colleges and universities in Canada offering admission to international students without IELTS:

THE World University Rankings, 2024	Institution Name	Location	Alternatives for IELTS
#49	McGill University	Montreal, Quebec	TOEFL iBT: 86
#351-400	University of Saskatchewan	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	TOEFL iBT: 86 \| DET: 110 \| PTE: 63
#351-400	University of Victoria	Victoria, British Columbia	TOEFL iBT: 90
#401-500	University of Guelph	Guelph, Ontario	TOEFL IBT: 89 \| DET: 120 \| PTE: 60
#501-600	Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador	TOEFL iBT: 90 \| PTE-A: 61
#501-600	Concordia University	Montreal, Quebec	TOEFL iBT: 90 \| DET: 120 \| PTE: 50
#501-600	Carleton University	Ottawa, Ontario	TOEFL iBT: 86 \| DET: 125 \| PTE: 60
#601-800	Ontario Tech University	Oshawa, Ontario	TOEFL iBT: 83
#801-1000	University of Regina	Regina, Saskatchewan	TOEFL iBT: 83 \| PTE: 59 \| DET: 120
-	University of Winnipeg	Winnipeg, Manitoba	DET: 120 \| TOEFL iBT: 86 \| PTE: 58
-	Brock University	St. Catharines, Ontario	TOEFL iBT: 88 \| DET: 110 \| PTE: 58
-	Algoma University	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario	DET: 110 \| TOEFL: 83 \| PTE: 60
-	Brandon University	Brandon, Manitoba	PTE: 58 \| TOEFL iBT: 80
-	University of Prince Edward Island	Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island	TOEFL iBT: 80 \| PTE: 58
-	Seneca College	Toronto, Ontario	DET: 115 \| TOEFL iBT: 84 \| PTE: 60
-	Okanagan College	Kelowna, British Columbia	60-70% in Class XII English
-	Cambrian College	Sudbury, Ontario	TOEFL iBT: 80 \| PTE: 58 \| DET: 105

Duolingo-Accepted Institutes in Canada

Some Canadian universities accepting Duolingo English Test scores as English language proficiency for admission and their corresponding scores are as follows:

THE World University Rankings, 2024	Institution Name	Location	Duolingo Scores Accepted
#49	McGill University	Montreal, Quebec	125
#=109	University of Alberta	Edmonton, Alberta	120
#201-250	University of Calgary	Calgary, Alberta	110
#201-250	University of Calgary	Calgary, Alberta	110
#351-400	York University	Toronto, Ontario	120
#401-500	University of Guelph	Guelph, Ontario	120
#501-600	Memorial University of Newfoundland	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador	115
#601-800	University of New Brunswick	Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick	115
#801-1000	Lakehead University	Thunder Bay, Ontario	110
#801-1000	University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC)	Prince George, British Columbia	105
#501-600	University of Windsor	Windsor, Ontario	115
-	University of Winnipeg	Winnipeg, Manitoba	120
-	Yorkville University	Fredericton, New Brunswick & Vancouver, BC	115
-	Algoma University	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario	95
-	Ambrose University	Calgary, Alberta	110
-	The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)	Burnaby, British Columbia	105
-	Cape Breton University	Sydney, Nova Scotia	120
-	OCAD University	Toronto, Ontario	110
-	Bishop’s University	Sherbrooke, Quebec	115
-	Royal Roads University	Victoria, British Columbia	115
-	Trinity Western University	Langley, British Columbia	120
-	Capilano University	North Vancouver, British Columbia	125

PTE Accepted Institutes in Canada

Some Canadian universities accept PTE scores and few other test scores as an alternative of IELTS. Some of these universities and colleges and their accepted PTE scores are as follows:

THE World University Rankings, 2024	Institution Name	Location	PTE Scores Accepted
#41	University of British Columbia	Vancouver, British Columbia	65
#=103	McMaster University	Hamilton, Ontario	60
#=109	University of Alberta	Edmonton, Alberta	62
#201-250	The University of Western Ontario	London, Ontario	58
#251-300	Queen’s University	Kingston, Ontario	60
#301-350	Dalhousie University	Halifax, Nova Scotia	65
#351-400	York University in Toronto	Toronto, Ontario	60
#601-800	Toronto Metropolitan University	Toronto, Ontario	60
-	Athabasca University	Athabasca, Alberta	59
-	Brandon University	Brandon, Manitoba	58
-	Burman University	Lacombe, Alberta	58
-	Canadian Mennonite University	Winnipeg, Manitoba
-	Nipissing University	North Bay, Ontario	58
-	Vancouver Island University	Nanaimo, British Columbia	60
-	Cape Breton University	Sydney, Nova Scotia	59
-	Capilano University	North Vancouver, British Columbia	56
-	Fairleigh Dickinson University – Vancouver	Vancouver, British Columbia	58.5
-	Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning	Toronto, Ontario	53
-	Kwantlen Polytechnic University	Surrey, British Columbia	61
-	Laurentian University	Sudbury, Ontario	60
-	MacEwan University	Edmonton, Alberta	59
-	Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT)	Winnipeg, Manitoba	54
-	Mount Allison University	Sackville, New Brunswick	60
-	Niagara College	Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario	58
-	Saint-Paul University	Ottawa, Ontario	58
-	University Canada West	Vancouver, British Columbia	61

If you are unable to achieve satisfactory English proficiency test scores, the Canadian universities might accept you based on class XII English score. However, this is not the case most of the time, hence you should achieve satisfactory score in any of the accepted test at your desired institute.

FAQs

Ques. Is it mandatory to know English language to study in Canada?

Ans. Yes, English language proficiency test scores are mandatorily required at the Canadian institutes for non-native English speaking students. This way, the universities determine your eligibility to adapt to the Canadian education system and capability to keep up with the coursework.

Ques. Is IELTS mandatory for a Canadian student visa?

Ans. No, Indian students can get a Canada study visa even without IELTS. However, as an alternative, you require satisfactory score in TOEFL, CAEL, CanTEST, and other eligible tests.